1. Field of Invention
Antiviral compositions comprising avarol and method of employing avarol for its antiviral activity; method of killing virus therewith; method of production of the active principle avarol. In brief, pharmaceutical compositions embodying avarol, method of treating with avarol, and employment of the said active principle for its antiviral activity.
2. Prior Art
Avarone and its hydroquinone derivative avarol are natural substances found in the marine sponge Dysidea avara (L. Minale, R. Riccio and G. Sodano, Tetrahedron Letters 1974, 3401-3404; S. de Rosa, L. Minale, R. Riccio and G. Sodano, J. Chem. Soc. Perkin I, 1408-1414 (1976)). These compounds were isolated from a diethyl ether extract using column chromatography on silica gel (L. Cariello, M. de Nicola Giudici and L. Zanetti, Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 65c, 37-41 (1980)). With regard to biological effects it has so far only been known that avarol in very high concentrations (130 .mu.m) affects the cells of the sea urchin embryo; causing "developmental abberations" (L. Cariello et al., ibid.). The derivatives described in the literature are, among others, the 3'-methylamino and the 4'-methylaminoavarone (G. Cimino, S. de Rosa, S. de Stefano, L. Cariello and L. Zanetti, Experientia 38, 896 (1982) as well as the avarol dimethyl ether and the avarol diacetate (S. de Rosa et al., ibid.).